Scaffolding support



se t. so, 1958 K. A, STEEN 2,854,290

SCAFF'OLDING SUPPORT Filed March 50, 1956 I l J INVENTOR.

I H KINGA.STEEN United States Patent Q 2,854,290 S AF LD NG S PO King A. Steen, Springfield, Mo. Application March 30, 1956, Serial No. 575,221 1 Claim. (Cl, 304-.-6)

This inventionrelateelo imprpvernents in scaffolding supports or trestles.

An important object of theinvention is to provide a scaffolding support having legs which are individually adjustable in length, so that the scafiolding may. be erected upon unlevel orrough terrain.

A further object is to provide novel and simplified means for eflectingthe quick adjustment of the individual legs of the trestle, andepablipg the legs to be releasably locked in selected adjusted positions in a safe and convenient manner.

Another object is to provide means for quickly and conveniently adjusting the lengths of the legs, without necessitatingthe. removaluof fastener elements, or the complete separation of anypartsof the device. 7 A still further objectistoprovide in a trestleof the ahoye. mentioned character. novel and extremely strong and reliahlemeansto facilitate the erection of-extended or taller scaff lding upon. the. .trestle of the instant invention.

Another. object 1s to.,pr.ov.ide. a novel and simplified adapter upon the trestle to, facilitate erecting or building additional scaffolding thereon.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparentduringthc Course of. the .following description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Figure l is a perspective view of a scafiolding support or trestle in accordance with the invention,

Figure 2 is an enlarged end elevation of the same with parts broken away,

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view of one telescoping leg and associated adjusting means,

Figure 4 is a longitudinal vertical section taken on line 44 of Figure 3,

Figure 5 is a horizontal transverse section taken on line 5-5 of Figure 3.

In the drawings, where for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention:

The numeral 14) designates generally leg or support units of the trestle. Each unit embodies a pair of upwardly converging inclined legs, each ofsaid legs comprising upper and lower telescoping leg sections 11 and 12, as indicated. The upper leg sections 11 are tubular and straight, throughout major portions of their lengths, for the reception of the lower leg sections 12, which are also preferably tubular for the sake of lightness.

The upper leg sections 11 are preferably rigidly connected near and above their lower ends by transverse horizontal tubular braces 13, rigidly secured thereto by welding or the like. Similar shorter horizontal braces 14 preferably rigidly connect the leg sections 11 near their'upper ends, as shown. Above the braces 14, the leg sections 11 have relatively short upstanding vertical extensions 15, integral therewith, and being tubular and having their upper ends open, as shown.

The leg units 10 are connected in assembly by an Patented. Sept]: 30, 1.958

ice

elongated horizontalplanklG, or the like, havingend portions resting upon the braces 14 between the vertical leg extensions 15, in close relation thereto, as shown. Vertically spaced transverse bolts 17 engage through registering, openings provided in the plank 16 and extensions 15 for-rigidly securing the plank to the units 10-. Suitable diagonal braces 18 are preferably provided, hay:- ing their upperends secured a at19 to theplank, and their lower ends rigidly secured as-at 20' to thB hDIiz ontal braees 13, at the longitudinal centers of the latter. The arrangement above described renders-.thesupport or trestle extremely'rigid and sturdy in construction, y h w g trdm ofihe use ofmetal tubin i11 the leg units 1t).

Me n are P ovi ed; o. fie t" he long t in l a jus ment of each individual leg of the trestle. Such means comprises a longitudinal slot 21 in each upper tubular leg section 11, extending throughout a major portion of the length thereof, and preferably extending approximately for the full distance between the braces 13 and 14, as shown. The. upper and lower ends of; the slots 21 are closed. Each; longitudinal slot 21 includes a plurality of longitudinally equidistantly spaced branch slots or notches 22, opening through the inner longitudinal edgeof the slot 21. The;.branch slots 22 of each tubularleg section 11 are parallel and upwardly inclined from the horizontal, for a purpose Any desired number of the branch slots 22 may be formed through each leg section 11, depending uponthe degree of fineness of adjustablility which it is desired to impart to each leg of the trestle. As shownin the drawings, e. slots o no ches 2.- im pp tions 11: ofeach unit 10 converge upwardly, Figure 2, and extend frorn th longitudinal slots 21, toward the inner sidesof the two. upwardly converging legs of the unit 10.

The lower tubular leg. sections 12, whichare of course smaller in diameter than the upper leg sections 11 into which they fit telescopically, are each provided near and belowtheir upper ends with atransverse. screw-threaded stud or pin element 23, rigidly secured thereto, preferably in the manner shown in Figure 4, or by welding, brazing, or by other suitable means. The screw-threaded element 23 of each lower leg section 12 engages slid ably through the slot 21 of the adjacent tubular leg section 11, and the element 23 is preferably arranged at right angles to the tubular leg sections 11 and 12, as best shown in Figure 4. The element 23 projects somewhat beyond the outer surface of the upper leg section 11 and receives upon its outer end a winged nut 24, or the like. Each element 23 is freely shiftable longitudinally of its associated slot 21, and freely engageable and disengageable with any and all of the upwardly inclined branch slots 22. It is to be noted here that each branch slot 22 or notch forms with the inner longitudinal edge of the adjacent longitudinal slot 21 a downwardly directed tapered or V-shaped safety locking shoulder 25 for the pin element 23, as will be further described.

In order to efiect the lengthening or shortening of each leg of the trestle, it is merely necessary to loosen the nut 24 slightly and to turn the lower leg section 12 somewhat upon its longitudinal axis for moving the element 23 out of the particular notch 22 within which it was previously located. The element 23 is now arranged in the longitudinal slot 21, and may be readily shifted lengthwise therein as the leg section 12 is adjusted lengthwise for the desired extent. The leg section 12 is then twisted or turned slightly in the opposite direction to cause the element 23 to enter and engage within a different one of the notches 22. At this time, the nut 24 is re-tightened for clamping or locking the leg sections to be described.

inclination of the notches 22 and of the shoulders openings to receive the same bolts 17 11 and 12 in the selected longitudinally adjusted condition.

In connection with the above, it is to be noted that the the resulting formation 25 causes the elements 23 to lock ever more securely within the notches 22 when'the weight upon the trestle increases. In other words, the greater the weight to be supported, the more securely the element 23 secures the leg sections 11 and 12 in their selected adjusted position, due to the novel coaction of the elefment 23 with the inclined notches or branch slots 22. The arrangement is highly simplified, extremely compact,

strong and foolproof in operation. It is substantially impossible for one of the trestle'legs'to slip under load,

once the proper adjustment has been made, as above described, and the nut 24 tightened.

Novel means are provided to facilitate erecting extended scaffolding upon the trestle as shown in Figure 1. This means comprises an adapter 26 for the top of each leg unit 10, as shown. Each adapter 26 comprises a horizontal plate section 27, carrying a pair of depending vertical tubular legs or bars 28, rigidly secured thereto by welding or the like in parallel spaced relation. The legs 28 are spaced to enter the tops of the tubular extensions 15, as shown in the drawings, and the legs somewhat longer than the vertical extensions 15, Figure 2, so as to project above the latter in assembly, when they are inserted into the extensions 15 to the fullest extent, Figure 2. The legs 28 are formed with transverse which secure the units to the plank 16, and the bolts 17 therefore pass through extensions 15, legs 28 and the plank 16, as shown. The adapters 26 are thus safely and rigidly secured to the trestle.

Each adapter 26 further comprises a short central ver-' tical upstanding sleeve or tube section 29, rigidly secured to the top of the plate 27, by welding or the like, the top of each sleeve 29 being open. The shortsleeves 29 are adapted to receive within them and to anchor the vertical legs 30 of conventionaltubular metal scafiolding 31, in the manner shown in Figure 1. The scaffolding 31 is thus firmly and safely mounted upon the trestle, through the medium of the simplified adapters 26, and the arrangement is extremely strong, safe and reliable.

28 are preferably While the invention has been described above in connection with a single support or trestle, as shown in Figure 1, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the trestle is adapted to be used in pairs for supporting scaffolding, and further description in this regard is believed to be unnecessary.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention, herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit .of the invention of the scope of the subjoined claim. 7

Having thus described my invention, I claimi.

A scafiolding support comprising a pair of leg units, each leg unit including a pair of spaced substantially vertical tubular extensions having their tops open, a plank for connecting the leg units having end portions engaging between the pairs of extensions, bolt means engageable through said extensions and end portions for securing the plank to the-leg units, scaffolding adapters for the tops of the leg units, each adapter comprising a substantially horizontal body portion, a pair of depending vertical legs secured to the body portion and engageable within the tops of the tubularextensions and having transverse openings to receive said bolt means, and upstanding sleeves secured to the tops of said body portions for receiving vertical legs of scafiolding.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 390,103. Wallace et al Sept. 25, 1888 395,381 Casler Ianll, 1889 488,349 Bradley Dec. 20, 1892 1,141,919 Auchu June '8, 1915 1,303,416 Tidyman May 13, 1919 1,486,395 Smithers. Mar. 11', 1924 1,936,196 Kacena Nov. 21, 1933 2,435,171 Weisz Jan. 27, 1948 2,479,962 Paulson Aug. 23, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS 80,801

Norway Oct. 6, 1952 

